thirteen months
dear Sweetpea,
December was such a special month! you love all the Christmas lights and decorations, especially the garland on the stairs and the lights Daddy put up on the house. a few weeks before Christmas, we took you to see Santa and you didn't even flinch! you loved the soft fur trim on his red velvet coat. he talked to you quietly for a few minutes by yourself, and then he talked to all three of us and told us not to blink because it all goes so fast. oh, sweetpea, how true that is! and yet, i can't be too nostalgic, because each new day we see more and more of you, and that makes every day feel like Christmas.
our next big adventure was flying to Seattle the week before Christmas to visit family and celebrate John and Genesis' wedding on December 22! you occupied yourself on the flight with reading your ladybug book from Grammy Kim, coloring in your new Rudolph coloring book and playing with the stickers, and scrubbing down everything you could reach using baby wipes. you woke several times the night we landed, and the next morning, all four top teeth had popped through! poor baby. on top of that, you came down with a head cold. Grammy and Grandpa gave you some much needed snuggles. the next day, you were in much better spirits. you loved flopping on pillows and blankets in Auntie Krista's room with Uncle James. and you were pretty much obsessed with taking the miniature Potato Heads out of the bucket, putting them back into the bucket, etcetera, etcetera, world without end, amen.
the ceremony itself reflected John and Gen's passion for each other and for Jesus. they exchanged personalized vows, and after they shared Communion, the congregation sang a few of their favourite worship songs. and then ... they were pronounced man and wife!
you fell asleep in Daddy's arms for a little while after the ceremony, but then you were ready to party (despite our attempt to prolong your nap by taking you for a drive before the reception). whenever we clapped and cheered for Uncle John and Auntie Gen to kiss, you clapped right along with us. and you helped Grandpa Kyle give his toast to the newlyweds.
on Christmas morning, Daddy played for all three masses. we joined him for the 11:30 mass, where the Schola sang beautiful motets and the whole church was festooned in evergreens. then we drove out to visit Nana, Pappy, Auntie Becca and Uncle Josh. you scored your first box of animal crackers in your stocking, and got lots of practice opening presents!
you especially loved the Fisher Price milk truck from Grammy and Pappy. and you went nuts for the alphabet train from Auntie Becca and Uncle Josh!
after all that excitement, we came back home and you (belatedly!) opened your presents from Mommy and Daddy: your first real snowsuit, the Little Blue Truck Christmas book, bunny and puppy stamps, straw sippy cups, apple cinnamon puffs, and a corn popper push toy. you are one lucky little girl!
this month, you've added a few new words to your vocabulary: "bee" (baby), "beep beep" (from Little Blue Truck), "boom boom" (from Mr. Brown Can Moo -- and you also knock on the page where it says "knock knock", sometimes even before i read it). you "roar" like a tiger, and you point to your tummy, nose, and toes when we ask. you sometimes put your hand on your cheek and tilt your head like a model, and i have no idea where you might have learned that!! your new favourite game is to grab an item of clothing from my clean laundry while i'm in the middle of folding it, and drape it around your neck like a scarf. oh, baby girl, you keep us laughing.
we love you to the moon and back!
December was such a special month! you love all the Christmas lights and decorations, especially the garland on the stairs and the lights Daddy put up on the house. a few weeks before Christmas, we took you to see Santa and you didn't even flinch! you loved the soft fur trim on his red velvet coat. he talked to you quietly for a few minutes by yourself, and then he talked to all three of us and told us not to blink because it all goes so fast. oh, sweetpea, how true that is! and yet, i can't be too nostalgic, because each new day we see more and more of you, and that makes every day feel like Christmas.
our next big adventure was flying to Seattle the week before Christmas to visit family and celebrate John and Genesis' wedding on December 22! you occupied yourself on the flight with reading your ladybug book from Grammy Kim, coloring in your new Rudolph coloring book and playing with the stickers, and scrubbing down everything you could reach using baby wipes. you woke several times the night we landed, and the next morning, all four top teeth had popped through! poor baby. on top of that, you came down with a head cold. Grammy and Grandpa gave you some much needed snuggles. the next day, you were in much better spirits. you loved flopping on pillows and blankets in Auntie Krista's room with Uncle James. and you were pretty much obsessed with taking the miniature Potato Heads out of the bucket, putting them back into the bucket, etcetera, etcetera, world without end, amen.
Gen and John's wedding day was absolutely beautiful. we were so happy to be a part of it! their wedding was held at Belle Chapel in Snohomish. we arrived before the ceremony for family pictures, so we had some time to enjoy the charming church. the decorations evoked the hushed peace of a winter wonderland -- perfect for a December wedding.
the ceremony itself reflected John and Gen's passion for each other and for Jesus. they exchanged personalized vows, and after they shared Communion, the congregation sang a few of their favourite worship songs. and then ... they were pronounced man and wife!
you fell asleep in Daddy's arms for a little while after the ceremony, but then you were ready to party (despite our attempt to prolong your nap by taking you for a drive before the reception). whenever we clapped and cheered for Uncle John and Auntie Gen to kiss, you clapped right along with us. and you helped Grandpa Kyle give his toast to the newlyweds.
you spent some more time coloring with Uncle Colin, ate a gigantic plate of the delicious lasagna and breadsticks, and finished off the night dancing with Auntie Kelli. what a day!
our flight back home was the next day, but we had just enough time that morning to exchange presents and visit with family (you met your great-aunts Kris and Karla, and second cousins Brinkley, Kerryn, and Karrah on this trip). your favourite gifts were your Rudolph plate, bowl, and cup from Grammy, the gorgeous burgundy hat that Auntie Kelli knitted you, and the super soft stuffed frog from Auntie Kira! we flew back home on December 23, sad to leave our West Coast family behind, but happy to be snug in our own little house on Christmas Eve. after our traditional dinner of clam chowder with Grands biscuits, you opened your new Christmas ornament: a blown glass rocking horse. and you put it on the tree all by yourself!
on Christmas morning, Daddy played for all three masses. we joined him for the 11:30 mass, where the Schola sang beautiful motets and the whole church was festooned in evergreens. then we drove out to visit Nana, Pappy, Auntie Becca and Uncle Josh. you scored your first box of animal crackers in your stocking, and got lots of practice opening presents!
you especially loved the Fisher Price milk truck from Grammy and Pappy. and you went nuts for the alphabet train from Auntie Becca and Uncle Josh!
after all that excitement, we came back home and you (belatedly!) opened your presents from Mommy and Daddy: your first real snowsuit, the Little Blue Truck Christmas book, bunny and puppy stamps, straw sippy cups, apple cinnamon puffs, and a corn popper push toy. you are one lucky little girl!
this month, you've added a few new words to your vocabulary: "bee" (baby), "beep beep" (from Little Blue Truck), "boom boom" (from Mr. Brown Can Moo -- and you also knock on the page where it says "knock knock", sometimes even before i read it). you "roar" like a tiger, and you point to your tummy, nose, and toes when we ask. you sometimes put your hand on your cheek and tilt your head like a model, and i have no idea where you might have learned that!! your new favourite game is to grab an item of clothing from my clean laundry while i'm in the middle of folding it, and drape it around your neck like a scarf. oh, baby girl, you keep us laughing.
we love you to the moon and back!
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